Panera Bread - Elk Grove, CA

Panera Bread Cafe is located at 8519 Bond Road in the city of Elk Grove, CA. From Highway 99, heading south, you would exit the Laguna / Bond Road East. Panera Bread is in the strip mall on the left past the first stop light. My wife, son, and I enjoyed our lunch there. Here are few things to expect while grabbing a bite to eat at this particular cafe.

Selection

Panera is a publicly traded company so we can expect that all their locations will have practically identical menu selections. From pastries, bread, hearty sandwiches, and healthy salads to a children's menu, there is a combination that will suit almost everyone. They prepare their food based on standard choices on the menu but that shouldnâ€™t stop you from making a few unique changes of your own when you order. On the opposite end of the entrance is the beverage station. Soda, water, and condiments are located here.

Atmosphere

When at Panera Bread, be sure to grab seats as soon as you get there as this place gets busy--fast! You'll find that on clear days, the outside tables under the patio umbrellas are a nice change of scenery from seating inside. Like with any eating establishment, you will experience walks of life particular to the customer that Panera Bread will draw--those who choose to spend above -average prices for breads, sandwiches, and salads. I was quite surprised that an employee offered to put away my dishes. My remaining dishes, I put away myself and I noticed that I was the only one who was doing that.

Service

My wife and I had a few changes to our orders and Desiree, our cashier, was more than accommodating to modify our order. Immediately after ordering, she read back our order for accuracy and then she gave us one last opportunity to add a pastry to our meal, of which to take advantage. Panera has a system where you provide your name and pickup your meal from the pickup counter--similar to a Starbucks Cafe.

My family and I had a nice lunch experience at the Elk Grove Panera Bread Cafe. I would recommend it to anyone looking for meals and pastries based on artisan-style baked goods. Our meal of two sandwiches and a children's mac and cheese cost $24. Panera Bread Cafe is certainly not a budget-friendly, recurring expense but, nonetheless, it was a nice place to visit if you can manage to afford it.